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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

As some of you may know I am originally from Canada. I grew
up on a farm in the province of Alberta, but school drew me to Kansas for
college and then university. A string of opportunities presented themselves
after college and my career began in the Midwest. Then I met my future husband
and to Iowa I moved.

However, behind the scenes there was a lot of paperwork.
Something that most people don’t think about when they see a blonde, white girl
standing in front of them. Prior to meeting part of the Boy’s family, for the
first time, he had told his cousin I was an immigrant. When I walked into the
room she exclaimed, “She’s not Mexican!” Not quite.

So how does one enjoy everything the U.S. has to offer when
you aren’t a citizen.

Well, in college it was student visas. When walking into the
International office at Kansas State there would often be a very puzzled look
on the receptionists face. Nope I wasn’t lost, I was Canadian.

After school, a job was offered and it was time to try and get a
work visa. Luckily, I was able to obtain a work visa through NAFTA (North American Free
Trade Agreement). There are certain jobs that the U.S. has determined that
qualify for the NAFTA visa, and fortunately mine was on the list. The visas were
only for a year long, and you applied at customs. Yes, it was a little nerve
wracking standing in the customs office, at the airport, praying that they
would give you another visa so you could go back to work and your life south of the border. On the other hand
it was a little comical to watch the customs agents flip through the Angus
Journal to learn more about my work.

And then came marriage. Thankfully, we were able to get
married when I was on my NAFTA visa. However, after our big day it was time to
apply for permanent residency. Permanent residency is very similar to
citizenship other than I can’t vote.

The whole process again was nerve wracking. The boy and I
were married now, what if they decided sorry your time is up here? We began the
process late last summer, and we didn’t talk about it much other than with
family and close friends. I think we were worried we would jinx it.

First there was a stack, and I mean stack of paperwork to
fill out. With questions like do you plan to practice polygamy, have you ever
had weapons training, do you belong to any terrorist groups? The Boy also had
to sign his life away that as my sponsor no matter what happened to our
marriage he was responsible for me. I guess that was just extra reassurance
beyond the “until death do us part” wedding vows. I also had to get tested for
TB, be up-to-date on all my vaccinations and undergo a physical. And then there was a big check to write.

We sent off our paperwork and waited not really having any
idea on how long it would take for everything to go through. And while we
waited I wasn’t allowed to leave the United States. Finally, the letter came.
It was time to go to Des Moines for our interview. We had been instructed that
both of us could be interviewed, and the questions could range from what did
you give each other for your birthdays to the color or each other’s tooth brush
to much more personal questions.

Together we headed to Des Moines, and I was the first to get
my name called. The interviewer was quite intrigued about how the Boy and I
met. She probably doesn’t get the “we met at a cattle show” answer too much.
The interview really wasn’t too intense and at the end she said, “Well we’ll be
in touch with our decision, you may go.” I guess I did so well in the interview
they decided they didn’t even need to talk with the Boy.

As I walked back into the waiting room and told the Boy “let’s
go” he was rather confused. “What do you mean they don’t want to talk to me? I
am going to tell them you are my wife and they have to let you stay.” I was
just in a hurry to get out of there before they changed their minds!

We were back to waiting. And then one day shortly before
Christmas 2013 another one of those official looking envelopes arrived. Inside was my welcome to America letter and a
permanent resident card. The whole process was over, and I was legit!

A lot of people ask me if I will become a US citizen, and I
hope to one day. You have to have your permanent residency for so long before
you can apply, but I do want to be able to vote one day. I also hope to keep my Canadian citizenship and have dual that
way our future children can also have both Canadian and American citizenship.

I am pretty thankful that my “immigration” story went the
way it did. There were a lot of days that were full of pure frustration. I often would think to myself, “If I can’t
figure out this immigration website and all this paperwork, considering I speak
English and got a degree in the US, how is someone else that might be from one
of those true ‘foreign’ countries supposed to figure it out.” This is a pretty
amazing country, so it isn’t hard to see why others wouldn’t want to be apart
of it.

So here is to a year of being a permanent resident and thanks for letting me be apart of your country.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Each year I like to give a little recap of what your favorite posts were. Since New Years Eve is right around the corner and I know some of your are still looking for appetizer or meal ideas I thought I would start the recap off with your favorite Crystal Cattle recipes.

This is seriously one of our favorite recipes and it hardly takes any time to make. I also really like that you can make this with a variety of cuts of beef from more expensive sirloins to less expensive round steaks.

These tacos were a brand new recipe I tried this year. Lean ground beef is easy on the budget and the taco seasoning that goes with this recipe is to die for. I make the seasoning in big batches now to save time.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

I am a farmer and I raise cattle and corn. Last year, I met a Christmas Tree farmer from Michigan. She wasn't too much older than me and I thought that has got to be a pretty cool job.

Unfortunately, this year this is no live Christmas tree in the Blin house. We leave for Canada on Friday for Christmas, and we were afraid that our poor Christmas tree might a little dry and crispy by the time we got home. So, this year it is Mr. Plastic tree, covered in lights and love.

Now back to the farmer and their Christmas trees. Yesterday, I read 7 Things You Don't Know About the Surprisingly Huge Christmas Tree Business. Yes, I was shocked to learn that the Christmas tree business employes 100,000 (most part-time) workers. And I had no idea that the Christmas tree business generated more than $1 billion annual (compare that to the $600 billion we spend on holiday shopping).

However, this is the fact that I thought was the coolest because it relates directly to me.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Today's Turquoise Thursday is a day late, but it is so great I didn't want to wait until next week. Recently, on of my cattle friends launched a new clothing line called Agrarian Apparel. It is full of cute clothing that celebrates farming and food. And it doesn't hurt that she has a few turquoise options!

I received my first Agrarian Apparel T-shirt this week, and I love it. The cotton is great, and I love the length of the shirt. Not one of those too short shirts that shrink in the wash. Now I just need to convince Rachel to make a few more long sleeve versions because it is freezing in Iowa.

The even better news is that Agrarian Apparel is giving Crystal Cattle readers the opportunity to win three $25 gift certificates to their online store. Perfect timing to purchase a Christmas gift for that special someone or maybe even yourself. These shirts are a great way to show off your personal style all while promoting agriculture.

Congrats to Sarah Hamm, Samantha Bolen and Lindsey Rader on winning the giveaway!

About Me

These are just a few of the stories that make up the life of an ag girl. I have a passion for agriculture, and want to see farmers remain on the land, raising food for all of us. You'll also get a dash of cattle life from around the country as I travel for work, and some commentary on my hectic life. I love photography, video production, K-State (yes I bleed purple), the livestock industry and have bounced from Alberta, to Kansas, to Missouri, to Iowa. Stay tuned. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @crystalcattle